Clear Vision
by StillSound
Summary: Hinata has liked and admired Kiba Inuzuka since a very long time. They're best friends, and Hinata hopes for something more. These are the main ups and downs, the beggining and the finish. KibaHina. One-shot. AU.


This is KibaHina, something I've never wrote before. I usually do yaoi pairings like SasuNaru and SuiSasu, but am also a fan of some het pairings, such as this one. I just don't have that much fun writing about them as I do when I write SasuNaru and SuiSasu. But, my friend is absolutely in love with this pairing, and she's recently been rejected by a guy she really liked and she's a weird person who cheers herself up by reading angst so this is for her. Reviews would be awesome.

Clear vision

Hinata is everything Kiba would not look for.

She is pale, a pretty, fragile pale, many people compliment her on that, but Kiba is far from fragile and spends his days on the beach, with red sunburned skin and messy, wind-blown hair. Spend his days on the beach with lively people like him, tanned girls with swimsuit-fitting bodies and friends who would throw themselves in the sand all for winning a game of volleyball.

Hinata is not like that, she's like a British tourist in the Caribbean, and her pale skin would flame up in reaction to the sun's blaring rays, even on a cool day, in an hour. Her body is not at all near the swimsuit-fitting phase, the phase were she can attract boys with it and make girls jealous, even if she did have the nerve. And most of all, Hinata is not like Kiba's friends and Kiba himself, who pour all their energy into a game, even if it means bruises and cuts. She can still remember the mocking and snide laughter when she cut her arm badly, a result of Rock Lee's and Naruto's fight, and how she cried when blood came flowed out, even though it was not that deep, just very long. All the boys and almost all the girls would have survived a worse cut and have not let pathetic tears, those pathetic, pathetic, pathetic, pathetic, _pathetic_ water drops out of their eyes, at least not in public.

She has one good feeling from that memory, Kiba yelling and punching Neji who had slapped her across the face.

************

Kiba first met Hinata and Hinata first met Kiba when they were 6 years old, going into first grade.

Her father had driven her to the school and taken her to her classroom; Kiba's mother had driven him and taken him to his classroom. The met at the doorway, Hinata's disapproving father refusing to even nod at Kiba's mother wild looks. Hinata was another story, too sweet and she stuttered shakily to Kiba: "H-hello."

Kiba had said back, practically bouncing with joy. "Hello!" Her father had pressed his lips into a thin line, but Kiba's mother had stretched her lips widely into a smile.

************

The night their class has an overnight school trip is one of Hinata's bests. Not because of her classmate's reasons, which involve sex and similar ideas, but because this is one of the times Kiba proves how much he likes her, possibly girlfriend-like, but probably friend-like.

Hinata's in her room, sharing it with Tenten, it's late at night, and they're the only girls that aren't drunk after that party. They're staying up late, really late, like around 3 in the morning when Tenten shushes Hinata in the middle of her Hanabi story.

Tenten's keen hearing picks up on shuffling and voices outside their room into the corridor and she clamps when hand around Hinata's mouth. Absurdly, Hinata is reminded of James Bond movies.

Tenten puts one lean finger to her lips and glances at the white-washed door suspiciously. She tiptoes over to the door and puts her eye against the keyhole. Hinata follows, not as quietly. Tenten sees someone through the tiny eyehole and frantically mouths Shikamaru, Naruto, and Kiba. Hinata only picks up on Naruto and Kiba.

Voices float into the room slowly and softly and Hinata, determined now, strains her ears. "This is Tenten's and Hinata-chan's room, right?" Naruto's strong tone.

"Yeah." Shikamaru's lazy drawl.

"I dunno." Naruto continues. "I feel kinda bad about peeping on Hinata-chan and Tenten. Tenten will probably find out and beat me up"-Hinata hears Kiba's roaring laughter and Shikamaru's quiet chuckle-"and Hinata-chan's so sweet. And nice. She's, like, the only girl that lets me copy homework."

Hinata hears Tenten's furious inhale and turns to see the tussled head glowing with indignation. Tenten starts to open up the door, muttering: "Too right I'll beat them up. Who the hell do they think they are? I _hate_ men."

Hinata, surprising herself, grabs Tenten's clenched arm and shakes her head. Kiba hadn't said anything yet, and while these other boys didn't surprise her, Kiba was supposed to be her best friend. Tenten scowls, put stays put.

Shikamaru speaks up: "You didn't have any problem staring at Sakura's and Ino's breasts. What's so different Hinata? And how is Tenten supposed to find out. She's asleep."

Naruto changed his mind quickly enough. "Yeah, I guess so. Tenten is asleep, and Hinata-chan…She's always wearing those heavy jackets and cloaks. You can never tell what she really looks like. Remember when everyone thought she was fat and then during swimming for P.E. it turned out she was super skinny?"

Kiba's voice worms its way into the room next and Hinata's hopes rise. "Well, you saw her breasts then, didn't you? Whaddya mean 'you never know what she looks like?' if you saw her in a swimsuit?" Hinata struggles to keep her hopes up, but Kiba's response isn't the most uplifting. Tenten has a pitying look on her face.

Naruto counters with: "Well, that was 3 years ago. And we girls and boys have separate swimming P.E. stuff now. Who knows how big her boobs are now?" Kiba stays silent and Hinata feels tears in the corner of her eyes.

There's more footsteps, feet steadily coming toward them and Tenten dashes to their bathroom, where the heavy broom is. Hinata stays put, praying.

Then: "We're not gonna do it."

A few of Hinata's tears spill over, but most disappear. Tenten stands still with the broom over her head, dumbfounded. She doesn't listen to Naruto's protests and Shikamaru's confusion, doesn't know how Kiba, in the end, convinced them otherwise, doesn't know any of that, she's too busy repeating Kiba's declaration over and over in her head.

Tenten comes closer and whispers to Hinata: "That's a great friend you've got. But I'm still telling all the girls what they were doing. Wanna help me beat up Naruto and Shika?"

Hinata laughs and Tenten smiles with her.

***********

Hinata has the worst day in her life permanently known as June 22nd, 2009.

It's a hot, typical summer day and she's by herself, walking down to the less-expensive region of town because her father would refuse to drive her down even if he'd known she was going there, and not her readers' club.

The park is nearby and Hinata feels like walking through it. It's cool and green, nothing like the cold and grey walls of her house or the hot and blue air of summer. But, it's off her way and she doesn't want to be late to meet her friends. Hinata stares at one of its many entrances, thinks of her friends and makes up her mind. Ino is always late by 10 minutes anyway.

Smiling, she walks onto the gravel path and in a few minutes feels the welcome change of air. It's like spring again. Hinata walks quietly through, humming to herself, low enough so it won't disturb other people, but high enough so that she can actually hear it. It's a useless little tune she made up.

Hinata walks like this for a while, reminding herself every few minutes where she is so that she won't miss the closest path out of the park to their meeting place. A voice echoes behind her, one that's vaguely familiar and Hinata closes her eyes abruptly, stops her humming and listens carefully.

Kiba, she identifies. Smiling, she heads toward the direction she thinks it's coming from, she's not that sure and spies one brown, wind-tussled brown hair and one wavy, shiny blonde. It takes a few seconds to realize how close they are, how they're brushing against each other.

Hinata walks closer and sees Kiba's rough lips presses firmly against plump, perfect ones.

She called out "Kiba-kun!" a second before she walked in on them, but Kiba doesn't notice her and now, at the other end of the park, she's thanking God for that. People passing by look at her strangely, and even more strangely at the small puddle she's creating on the ground.

When Sakura and Ino call her later in annoyance, about why shed didn't show up, she lies and says her father made her stay in.

***********

Hinata one day works up her courage, surprisingly enough.

It's because of all the cheeky romance novels she's been reading, how the main characters on that soap opera finally kissed and how Tenten is going out with Neji It's because she's been reading, watching and hearing about happy relationships for a week, from both friends and fiction. It's because Kiba has been hanging around her house and after school with her in what she's deluded herself is more often than usual. It's because she's been surrounded by good news and has had no taste of reality in while.

It's a Friday when she tells him, because Sakura has been telling her that's the best day to tell someone you like him, because you can go out almost immediately. It's the weekend, after all. Sakura has never considered the possibility of Hinata being turned down, but Hinata is too meek to point this out to her and she knows what the romantic will say anyway.

So it's a Friday at Hinata's mansion that Kiba prefers the yard over, since Akamaru isn't allowed inside, that they meet with the excuse of Hinata explaining math to him. She's wearing around-the-house pants, her least favorite purple ones, but the only clean ones. They're ripped on purpose in the hope Kiba would compliment them, because that's the kind of clothes he usually wears. It's one of Hinata's most embarrassing articles of clothing, since Kiba was present when her maid asked her if she wanted to sew it back together.

Hinata taps her pencil against the chessboard paper, explaining how a is that and how b is this and Kiba watches the little lead numerals with furrowed brows, head leaned low over the paper. When she finishes he asks her to repeat this part because he still doesn't get it. Hinata complies and halfway through Kiba grabs the paper and scribbles rapidly, grinning in triumph and understanding. Hinata checks it when he's done, and nods minutely when everything is correct. Kiba grins and pets Akamaru furiously with one hand and hugs Hinata with the other.

While he's done rambling about how he's sure to get higher than a C on the next test because he has _the most awesome tutor _who doesn't even charge anything, Hinata feels her face heat up it's usual strawberry color and fiddles her fingers together nervously, thinking how this is as good a time as any.

"Kiba-kun", she starts and feels the gap between her and Kiba stretch farther. Kiba never uses honorifics for _anything_, except for teachers because he got sent to the principal's office the first week he tried that. All his friends are simply Shino, Naruto, and Shikamaru with nothing formal and polite between them. It's the same with Hinata and his previous girlfriends, no chan or extra endearment, but Hinata is a good, well-breed girl and she has manners she can't shake.

"Kiba-kun" she barely says without stuttering. Kiba didn't hear he the first time.

Kiba turns his boldly tattooed cheeks toward her, the red bright in comparison with his dull brown hair that Kiba has complained about often enough but Hinata has never found it that dull. He smiles, though not as freely as when he and Shino won the beach volleyball cup together. "Yeah, Hinata?"

Hinata looks at him, in dog-brown eyes that are exactly the same color as Akamaru. She tells herself she has to look at him in his eyes, because this is important. "I've got something really important to tell you, Kiba-kun." She's stalling.

Kiba frowns, caught by the serious tone of her voice. "What is it? Is that prick Neji being a dick again? Or is it your father? I'll beat up both of them for you, Hinata." he promises. Then, seeing Hinata's face and remembering how relations between the Hyuuga family are not as bad as they were before, corrects himself hurriedly. "If you want me to, that is."

Hinata shakes her head, smiling and raising her hopes higher. Kiba must like her a lot, if he was willing to beat up someone for her. Ino complained a lot how lazy Shikamaru would never do that for her.

"No, it's nothing like that. What I want to say is…" Hinata pauses and through her mind comes the romance books, the soap opera and Tenten and Neji. All happy endings and they're the burst of courage she needs.

"I really, really, like you Kiba-kun, more than a friend." It's said awkwardly, in a rush, but Hinata's just glad she got it out.

She ducks her back down almost immediately and stares at Kiba's scarred hand on Akamaru's white fur, too scared. Her purple hair falls into her eyes.

Kiba stays silent and Hinata is too much of a realist to not understand. She'll start crying any time now, she thinks bitterly. Kiba never cried about anything.

"Hinata…" he says.

Hinata doesn't say a word.

"Hinata…" he chokes out and Hinata thinks bitterly _do you have to sound so surprised? _It's an unfriendly thought, rare for her, but all the disappointments are piling up and all the hopes are falling down.

Kiba obviously isn't going to get it past his lips and Hinata says it for him. "You don't like me, do you?" She's in a sort of trance, an I-can't-believe-this-is-happening-but-I-should-have-known trance, which she's been through numerous times before, and so she's used to it. She went through it when her father disowned her, when Neji hit her so many times, when other girls whispered and laughed at her when she fell for that prank.

Kiba nods and whispers: "I swear, Hinata, I had no idea."

Hinata nods her head tightly and walks toward the house, leaving Kiba and Akamaru out there. She thinks of his other girlfriends, of that exchange student who was his first kiss, the girl she saw that day in the park. Thinks of her blonde hair, her tanned legs and bouncy breasts. Everything Hinata was not and everything Kiba liked. She shook her head furiously, for reasons she didn't know.

Behind her, running, heavy footsteps vibrated off the ground and Hinata doesn't stay still, but keeps on walking. Kiba yells at her: "Wait!" and it turns out she doesn't have to because he skids in front of her.

He skids in front of her, hands stretched out pleadingly and stops her despite herself. "Hinata, I do like you. Just not that way. I like you like a sister. You're like a sister to me, Hinata. You're my best friend, you know? I had no idea, I swear I had no idea…", he rambles off like that and Hinata feels her predicted tears spill over onto pale, flushed cheeks.

She thinks for a minute, for one absurd minute, if this was her fault, if he _used_ to like her, and if she had worked up the courage they would be alright. She whispers the question through sobs and Kiba leans in to hear her. He doesn't know what to do with his hands and is putting them near Hinata's body one second and waving them over his head the next. She whispers: "Did you like me before?"

Kiba stares at her mournfully: "No, never that way. Always like a sister, like a friend."

Hinata falls down and Akamaru moves in closer, licking her face in a doggy way to lift her spirits up. It doesn't work and Hinata just cries harder like a stupid little kid. Kiba never cried.

Kiba glances around wildly. "Shit, your cousin's coming." he swears and instead of feeling terrified, like she used to, Hinata feels oddly relieved. Neji was much more different than he used to be. "Neji-nii-san?" she asks shakily and tries to stand up. It's a lost cause and Kiba catches her, what just makes her cry harder.

"What are you _doing_, Inuzuka?" Neji roared and Hinata peered out shakily through her bangs. A fist bangs into Kiba's head and Neji is over her protectively, holding her. "What have you done to Hinata-sama?!" he demands and Kiba jumps to his feet, nose bloody.

He doesn't say anything and Hinata supposes she should be thankful Kiba knows her well enough that she wouldn't want a fight between them, but somehow it's not all that important and Hinata keeps on crying in her cousin's arms. She sees Kiba run away with Akamaru hot on his heels. Neji mutters something to himself and Hinata doesn't try to hear him.

She's thinking of the romance novel, of the soap opera and of Tenten and Neji, Ino and Shikamaru and Sakura and Lee. Hinata has none of that with Kiba, and right now she's too disappointed to think of getting it with anyone else.

***********

The last time she ever sees Kiba is at graduation. She's going off to Berkeley and Kiba isn't going to college at all. She's not the valedictorian of her class, but she's one of the best. Kiba is one of the worst.

At the end of the speech she throws her hat up in the air with everyone else and cheers and laughs. Neji, her father and Hanabi are waiting at the end of it and they all congratulate her. Her father offers gruffly to take them out to her favorite restaurant and Hanabi grins with joy, Neji stays as unemotional as ever, but Hinata knows he's happy. She smiles at him, at her father and at her sister, thinking of the States.

They're halfway to the car when Kiba runs over to her, his gown already splattered with mud. Hanabi glares at him with her usual vengeance, her father's eyes frown and crinkle and Neji barks at him: "What do you want?"

Hinata thinks they'll all being unnecessarily rude. She's buried that day deep, deep in her mind and now remembers it as she liked a boy, he didn't like her back, end of story. Kiba looks at her family unhappily, except Hanabi because he's always had a soft spot with kids. It's obvious he wishes he could say whatever he had to say to Hinata in private.

He looks at Hinata, his dog-brown eyes staring straight into her own almost colorless ones. It should be an affectionate gesture, but Hinata can see his girlfriend waiting with her friends for him. He looks at her and sighs softly.

Ever since Hinata told him how she felt, Kiba had avoided her and Hinata had avoided him. The last 2 years of high school had spent entirely without each other's company, unless you counted across-the-classroom nods.

Kiba looked at her and leans in towards her. Neji stiffens and Hanabi stares in shock. Kiba whispered quietly in her ear: "I won't see you again after this, huh?"

Hinata nods and her purple, long hair brushes across his shoulder.

Kiba groans and whispers again in her ear: "You're still my best friend, Hinata."

Hinata nods and can't say the same for him.

***********

In the States, Hinata meets a boy named Ricky, a normal American guy with blonde hair and brown eyes, nothing special. He likes to draw landscapes and he's the person Hinata brags about to her friends in Japan.

In 3 years, they're getting married and Hinata still hasn't seen Kiba since the graduation.

END

Yeah, lots of angst. Reviews please! It's my first het pairing.


End file.
